


Does Odessen Have a Living Room? It's Time for a Family Meeting...

by Henriwrites



Series: Belville Canon [2]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Awkward Family Reunion, Bel hasn't seen his family in years it's a lot, Emotional Manipulation, Fluff and Humor, M/M, kotfe/kotet spoilers abound, meanwhile Theron is trying to figure out what a family dinner is, more tags to be added as I add chapter I suspect
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-25 20:01:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30094380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Henriwrites/pseuds/Henriwrites
Summary: Bel doesn't ask for favours. It's not something he does. Ever. If he cannot take what he wants for himself, then he's only asking for trouble, owing someone later to get that. Sometimes though, you get the chance to take something small for yourself, against a galaxy that is always asking for sacrifice and loss. Sometimes the debt being owed is worth the chance to have that one thing for yourself.Perhaps the scales have balanced enough, perhaps he's sacrificed enough to have something selfish. It won't be easy, it never is, especially not when he's long since given up on managing to keep anything personal and sacred. Or maybe it's just going to take other people taking it for him, and making sure he has his own little piece of happiness. If that's the case, then he'll just have to make sure whatever debts they owe for doing him such a kindness get paid in full.
Relationships: Imperial Agent | Cipher Nine/Theron Shan, Male Imperial Agent | Cipher Nine/Theron Shan
Series: Belville Canon [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2214297
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place mid Kotfe/Kotet, I can't remember exactly where the trip to Dromund Kaas happens. But it takes place during that time and afterward. This will be pretty closely centred on Bel and Theron, and Bel's family, rather than the action of the expansions, but it where things start taking a turn, and I'm going to veer off canon pretty heavily from this point forward. Also that summary is really angsty for the high amounts of humour and fluff in this, but we'll be hitting some angsty stuff too. Thanks for dropping by!

Bel had begun pacing before they reached Dromund Kaas, and Theron had let it go, even though it was odd for their Commander to be quite so twitchy. It was Lana who finally asked.

“We can still turn around and refuse the invitation, Commander.”

Belville was quiet for a moment, stopped his pacing, and then straightened up, pulling himself together. “No, we’ve committed to this course, and I’d like to discuss a few things with Acina even if we don’t ally with them.”

“You’d really think about turning your back on fellow Imperials when they’ve offered a treaty?”

“Depending on what Acina wants in return, yes.” Bel took a few steps further into the cockpit, hand resting on Theron’s chair and tone softening. “I don’t have any intent to alienate anyone who wants to join the Alliance. If Acina asks too much...she can look elsewhere for an ally. I will not bend to Sith whims again.”

That struck a little harder than Bel had probably meant, and both Theron and Lana were purposefully quiet. Bel inhaled slowly. “That isn’t what I’m- Hmph.”

Lana looked at him with a spearing gaze, and Bel ignored it for a solid minute before speaking again. “I have a favour to ask.”

“Yes?”

His hand left Theron’s shoulder then, and Bel pulled something from one of his many, many pockets. “I imagine Acina isn’t going to let me out of her sight. If either of you can- Watcher Three, or the former Watcher Three. I’ll send you both the address. If you can take this to him, he knows where it needs to go.”

Theron twisted in his seat a little, brows up. “Bel-”

“Please don’t ask. If you don’t know what it is, all the better. If you can’t get it to him, give it back to me after we get off-world. Don’t put yourselves in any other danger. But if you can…” Bel swallowed once and shook his head a little. “It would mean a lot to me. That’s all I can say.”

Theron held out a hand, and a holo was dropped into his palm, and he pocketed it smoothly. Lana gave him a look and then said what they’d both been thinking. “This is personal?”

“Yes. It is.”

///

There was a small holodisk waiting on his kitchen table when Casper arrived home, and he stopped in the doorway, eyeing it for a long moment. The timing was too good, but then, that had always been the way things seemed to go. Things were never as complicated as it seemed they should be. He picked it up, listening to be sure no one else was in the house. The code on the bottom of the holo was right, if a little outdated. Casper tapped the button, watched the holo boot, inhaled through his teeth.

The face on the holo was right, if a little surreal to look at, and it had been a long time since Casper had had the chance to see him like this. Even before the whole business with the Eternal Empire. He turned the holo back off before the man could start speaking, and pocketed it, grabbing his jacket and heading back out the door.


	2. Settle Down, Or I'll Turn This Transport Around

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are very few things in the galaxy that can get a reaction out of a Cipher Agent. For Alliance members, this'll be a story they tell their children and grandchildren, the moment they saw a Cipher lose his composure, and cry. Years ago, that might have been an indication he was losing his edge, vulnerable, and someone would have taken advantage of it very quickly. But the galaxy has changed, and now that story will mean hope, and trust, on a world built on people hoping for even a little bit of trust.
> 
> For Bel it means almost as much as it means to the Alliance as a whole. And he'll let them have his tears if it means he can have just this moment, and after this the galaxy doesn't owe him a thing, as far as he's concerned.

Bel was a very good tactician, which had made General Aygo more than willing to run things by him before signing off on a plan. Initially, that had been under Lana’s supervision, since she’d worked directly in such capacities. But then, Belville’s experience was surprisingly varied, and he was more than willing to pick up duties where it suited him. Which was fine, considering Theron didn’t have a mind for it himself. He only showed up to these briefings when asked to provide assistance with the slowly simmering tension between the Republic and Imperial troops. Although Bel was doing his best to handle that too.

He had a habit of deliberately taking things off their plates without a word, making sure it was taken care of before Lana or Theron even realized he’d done it. Were it anyone else, Theron would have been concerned he was going to get himself burnt out. But Bel was considerably better than him about getting sleep. And food. And socialization. Which was still a point of contention between himself and Lana. Probably always would be. Bel seemed to find the whole thing amusing.

Eventually, it seemed Bel would be taking the project of keeping everyone civil off his plate too. Not that that would stop him from monitoring communications and morale for his Commander, but Theron had to admit he was surprisingly good at turning on the charisma and gently manipulating easily wound-up, high-energy troops that had been indoctrinated to hate each other.

He forgot sometimes, that Bel was as good a spy, better really, than he was. He’d been the Commander for so long, that when they were on Odessen, it was easy to see him as that alone, rather than Cipher Nine. Something in Bel’s bearing now suggested that rank was a part of him now, but it wasn’t his mantle anymore. It didn’t sit over him the way it once had. A lot had changed since Manaan.

The sounds of thrusters brought the conversation to a brief halt, and Bel looked up over the hanger, scanning. Aygo nodded once. “Scheduled refugees. Routine, Commander. Already vetted them.”

“Very good. One side, or mixed?”

“Mostly formerly Imperial, but a few former Republic civilians are with them. They were very...forthcoming and polite.”

That got a tiny snort from Bel and Theron swallowed a small smile. “Well, Acina hasn’t contacted us yet, so I’ll assume she’s holding up her agreement to relinquish any legal hold over former citizens. Good.”

“She probably doesn’t want to end up like Saresh.”

“Saresh wasn’t a fully trained Sith and wasn’t in her seat of power. I do not want to attempt a coup against the Empire. We’re already attempting one coup against one empire. Two might stretch us a bit thin.”

“Just a bit.” Aygo chuckled as the shuttle landed on the outside landing pads. “Take the Eternal Throne and then we’ll see. I’m sure the troops won’t turn you down.”

Bel didn’t respond, and Theron raised a brow, pushing off the desk he was leaning on, and stepping forward. Their Commander was very still, still staring as the first of the refugees stepped off the ship. He went to touch Bel’s shoulder, grab his attention from wherever he’d gone, but Gertrude got to him first, whining and nudging at the back of his knee. 

“I, uh, I need a moment. Please excuse me, General Aygo, Theron.”

“Of...course, Commander.” Aygo shared a look with him and Theron shrugged, but Bel was already gone, striding through the docking bay with purpose. He broke into a jog a moment later as the refugees disembarked and Theron took a few unintentional steps forward, grabbing at the railing tightly. Someone in the refugee group broke away, and their call echoed across the hanger. 

“Bel!”

It was a young woman who yelled his name, and Theron watched as Bel met her, catching her in his arms and the woman embraced him in turn, knuckles white as she gripped the back of his uniform. Bel held her tightly for a long moment, and then pulled back a little, both of them staying close, heads bent together, and Theron couldn’t hear what they were saying. 

A moment later Bel looked up, as a much taller man stepped out of the crowd, and came towards him. Something in his posture loosened, and Bel let go of the woman as the man approached. A moment later he was being lifted in the air, and Theron could hear half-hearted protests from Bel as the other man nearly enveloped him, and only because the hanger had gone deceptively quiet. Their voices raised, but not enough to make out proper words and Theron stepped back, taking a breath. “Give us a minute, General.”

Aygo only nodded, and Theron followed in Bel’s footsteps, threading through the receiving crowd as casually as possible, although most of their forces were watching Bel with as much curiosity as he was. He got close enough to hear as Bel was put back down on the ground finally, and paused his approach then. The woman slung herself over his shoulders and Bel laughed, squeezing an arm around her waist. “I really wasn’t expecting either of you to show up here.”

“Well, we would have earlier, but you didn’t make it easy to find you, you idiot.” The woman gave him half a shove and then straightened up a little. “That aside, it isn’t just us.”

“What do you- oh.” The taller man moved aside so that he wasn’t blocking the view of the shuttle, and Bel went rigid until the woman gave him a gentle shove. Behind the man an older man and woman had been waiting politely, and looking at the five of them, Theron could begin drawing conclusions. Bel met the older couple, his entire expression melting, and all three of them ended up in an embrace. There were tears on his cheeks when Bel pulled back, and he brushed them aside quickly, but the lights of the bay had already glinted off them enough for anyone nearby to see.

Theron cleared his throat as he stepped out of the crowd, drawing attention and projecting his voice. “All of you, you know your jobs, we don’t have all day. Get to it. These people need to be settled in asap.”

The crowd scattered to begin helping the refugees, but most of them were walking sideways or backwards to keep an eye on the scene. He gave a few of them a hard look and waited politely a few steps away. He pretended to be ignoring the group's conversation, even though he definitely wasn’t, and took stock of the five of them.

He would have bet credits that the younger woman and the older man were related to Bel, but it was so obvious no one would have taken him up on it. They both had more of his build, slight, tucked in at the waist with sharp hips, and his silvery platinum hair, and the older woman shared his bone structure. High cheekbones and gaunt cheeks to match. The taller, younger man looked just a bit out of place, but his chin and brow structure followed the same structure as both women. Gertrude was dancing around them, yipping happily as she was provided the same attention Bel was. It was the younger woman who noticed him first, the only person openly watching them, rather than pretending to be busy, and she elbowed Bel hard in the stomach, which got a sputtered curse out of him in response.

He planted a hand on his hip and raised a brow as Bel turned. The Commander’s cheeks lit up red, which was a rare enough occasion that he committed it to memory. Cipher Nine was flustered over nothing unless it was on purpose, but here, now, Bel was embarrassed. “Ah, yes. Right. My apologies, Theron, I didn’t mean to get carried away.”

“Are you going to introduce me?”

“I don’t think I have a choice.” He took a step out from the group and settled his hands behind his back. For a moment, he was very much the Commander again. “This would...be my family, actually. My brother, Casper, my sister, Ianthe, and my parents, Corisande and Lisle. This is...Theron Shan.”

And as much as Theron could have guessed, it was weirder to hear Belville say it. Weirder to acknowledge that he had a family. Not only had a family but had said nothing about them. They’d used Bel’s actual name around base now, in broadcasts too, but most people still called him the Commander, or Cipher, and the way these four used his name said enough. That was also weird. Bel continued after a moment. “I apologize for the scene, I had no idea they were coming.”

Lisle stepped forward and offered a hand, very Imperial and formal and Theron shook his hand firmly. “Lisle Abelard. Thank you for having us.”

“Theron Shan, I’m...one of the Commander’s advisors.” He tried for half a smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

Bel snorted and raised a brow at him. “I think you can use my name here, Theron. Did any of you bring luggage?”

Casper rolled his eyes. “We brought luggage. Ianthe raided an armoury.”

“Not like Empress Acina was using it properly.” Ianthe pouted and shrugged. “I’m sure your Alliance will put it to good use. Not my fault your message interrupted me mid-tour.”

Bel softened, completely and utterly. “You can thank Theron for that. I was a little worried it wouldn’t get to you.”

That clicked a little and Theron shook his head. “You could have said you were sending it to your family. We could have had them come with us.”

Bel shook his head a little. “This is the first time anyone has seen me with my family in public in years. I didn’t want Acina getting to them. I...didn’t think any of you would actually show up here.”

“We would have been here sooner if you’d have asked, Bel.” His mother’s tone was gentle, soft brown eyes imploring and Bel flushed a little. “We saw the KIA list when...when everything happened. We...weren’t sure we could believe it when you reappeared.”

The flush deepened and Bel’s expression solidified and Theron touched his back gently. “You should take some time to catch up. We can survive without you for a bit. I’ll call you if we need you, okay?”

Bel swallowed and nodded quickly. “Thank you. We won’t be far.”

He left them quickly, keeping an eye out as Bel guided his family somewhere more private. He backtracked to the command center as casually as possible, and already the rumours were spreading. He could hear people discussing the reunion in small clumps as he passed, keeping out of the way so they wouldn’t notice him and each conversation continued as he passed. Theories were being tossed back and forth, and a decent amount were hitting the mark, but a surprisingly large percentage of them were absolutely nowhere near the truth, and Theron could only assume that was because the idea of the legendary Cipher Nine, of The Outlander, of their Commander, having a family seemed so antithetical to everything he had cultivated.

Lana and Senya were both in the command center and the moment he stepped inside they were both looking at him like he held the secrets of the universe. He put his hands up in surrender. “You’ve heard the news then?”

“It didn’t take long to make its way here.” Lana crossed her arms over her chest. “Did he say anything to you?”

“He introduced me. Parents, brother and sister. Lisle, Corisande, Casper and Ianthe Abelard.” He shrugged a little. “That was who he wanted us to deliver that holo to back on Dromund Kaas.”

Senya looked a little pale. “He has...family. He never said anything.”

“I don’t imagine he would have if they hadn’t shown up.” Lana shook her head a little and settled back down, shifting weight back into her hips. “He has plenty of enemies, and they would have been in danger. His family was never mentioned in his Intelligence files, but when someone is made a Cipher, their entire history and identity is erased. It makes sense that he would have wanted to keep it that way.”

Senya was still pale, and a little ill-looking. “They...must have thought him dead for the last five years. And this must have been the first time they’ve seen him since then…”

Theron winced a little and nodded. “Considering his job, this may not have been the first time they thought he was dead. But they’re here now. And I think we can all agree we need to put contingencies in place so that he doesn’t have to worry about their safety anymore.”

Lana nodded haphazardly as she worked at the console for a minute. “I can access their files with the information you gathered on Dromund Kaas, but we’ll need to discuss protection policies and contingencies with General Aygo as well. I highly doubt many of the enemies the Commander may have made during his career are still around, or eager to take on the Alliance as a whole, but we should be concerned about Arcann using it against him.”

“I...would hate to think Arcann capable of that, but it is possible. And if not him...Vaylin would.” Senya’s eyes shifted away from them, her expression falling and Theron felt his jaw clench for a moment. “I must admit some fascination to what his family must be like.”

“According to the files, Lisle was with the diplomatic corps, and Corisande is a doctor. Their son, Casper followed in his mother's footsteps and is a surgeon. Ianthe was with Imperial spec ops, now listed as MIA.” Lana blinked twice, gaze far away for the moment. “None of them achieved particular renown or high rank. For all intents and purposes, a normal, middle-class Imperial family, aside from the Commander himself.”

“I never intended to be much more than that either.” Bel’s voice indicated an end to any planning they had intended to do behind his back and Theron shifted aside to provide space for him at the table. “But I was picked out by Intelligence when I joined the military, and what happened...happened. Those were things I chose to undertake, although I never would have expected it to end up here.”

Senya shifted back on her heels, arms akimbo in what was clearly her maternal stance. Usually, that indicated a lecture. “You should be with your family.”

“They’re getting settled. And they're more used to my absence than my presence. As am I. They know my role here.”

“We could have done without you for a little bit longer.” He provided the offer gently, and Belville clasped his hands behind his back again. There had been a vulnerability in Bel back in the hanger that was already gone now that he was in the command center again. 

“I’ll meet up with them again later. I take it Theron filled you all in?”

“Yes. If you had mentioned them, I’d have had them brought to Odessen much earlier.” Lana was meeting Senya’s tone of stern and Theron grimaced.

“It wasn’t anything to worry about. If they want to be here, I’m happy to have them, but I had no intention of forcing my family to leave their home and lives for a cause they may not have believed in, at the request of a son they’ve barely known in two decades. I’ve done everything I could to shield them from my life, but this was their choice, and it was the only way I would have allowed them to come here.” He returned the hard look and stern voice and Lana only nodded, backing down without a word. 

It was not a struggle Theron had ever confronted. Not like that anyhow. And it bred more questions than answers, although it seemed unlikely he’d be getting those answers until the excitement had died down at least a little. 

“Is there anything in particular you want us to set up as far as protection? I imagine we’ll need to find your family permanent postings here on Odessen if they choose to work.”

Bel actually laughed, which got him a squinted, judgemental look from Lana. “Good luck keeping Ianthe on base. My parents have both been retired long enough, they’ll agree to it...Casper, I’ll work on convincing. We’ll need a different approach for Ianthe, but thank you.”

“We can simply deny your sister a posting off Odessen.”

“She’ll sneak off. Which may be preferable. If she deploys under a different name and rank, put a helmet on her and no one will know. Obviously, I do not want her deployed anywhere near any ops I’m doing. But she should be satisfied with that. She’s more than capable of taking care of herself.” Bel relaxed a little, letting his hands fall to the side and leaning over the holo table, brows furrowed. “The rest we can deal with at a later date, we have more pressing matters to attend to.”

That was a definitive enough end to the conversation, but Bel’s stance said enough. He’d relaxed, just a little, but the tightness in his jaw was something Theron was more than familiar with, and he absolutely wanted the subject dropped. At least for now, since they’d have to force the topic eventually and come up with real, accurate contingencies. If there was anything they could put a little effort towards, it was letting Bel have a little bit of what he’d lost for so many years. 

He kept an eye on Bel until their meeting was over, noting that he waited to leave, and waited in turn as Lana and Senya took their leave. He melted a little then, like the pressure on his shoulders was finally sliding away, and Theron stepped up to his side. “Want to take a walk?”

“Please.”

It was always less of a walk and more of a patrol, both of them satiating more paranoid instincts by inspecting the grounds of the base. But it was nice, Bel taking his arm like he was meant to be there, and letting Theron stay to the outside, covering Bel from any outside threats in a way that felt far too natural. At the end of the day, if anything happened, Lana would kill him herself if he didn’t protect Bel. Not that he needed her insistence to do it. But this had become a far more common occurrence than expected, which may have just been Bel’s way of getting him out of the office. “Honestly, I thought you’d want to see more of your family.”

“I’m...not used to having them around. And I’d rather not overwhelm them.”

“Or yourself.”

“That too.” Bel’s smile was a little wry. “I think I’ve forgotten how to miss them. It’s...odd. To have that feeling return, even though they’re here now. Our lives have been separate for a very long time.”

“You know if you don’t want them here I’m sure Lana will...politely move them.”

“Worse yet, they’re still Imperial enough, they’d follow her orders.” Bel laughed a little and shook his head. “No, it’s just a change I need some time to get used to. I’m happy they’re here, I just...wasn’t prepared. I gave up on the idea of retiring and seeing them again when I became a Cipher. They don’t retire us back into regular society.”

“Do you think they’d given up on that too?”

“I would assume so, but I’d almost rather not ask. They’re practical, and it’s in the past.” He looked tired, which was nothing new for any of them, leaning into Theron gently. Somehow it was harder not to be concerned when it was Bel. “I’m sorry for the scene earlier.”

“That wasn’t as much of a scene as most people would have made it into. Actually might be a nice bit of a morale boost for the Alliance.”

Bel blanked for a moment and then nodded. “Ah. You think they’ll appreciate seeing me as a normal person.”

“Normal is a bit of a stretch.” He got an elbow in his side for his trouble and grinned. “But yeah. They see you as untouchable, and some of that might be true, but for the Alliance to see you being soft, it’ll help. And it’s a touch of normalcy none of us have been able to establish here.”

“It’s funny to think most of the people here see me as something...else. I can see it in the way they approach me sometimes, but it isn’t the truth of the matter.”

“You sure? You have Valkorion haunting your brain.”

Bel looked directly at him for three beats in his version of an eye roll. “That aside.”

“That aside.” He repeated it back with a laugh and shook his head. “Do you intend to tell your family?”

“Probably not. There’s plenty of other things they’ll need to get caught up on, and I would rather not worry them with that.”

“They don’t seem overly protective, which is surprising.”

“Do you honestly think I’ve ever given them the chance?” Bel leaned over and pressed a kiss into his hair. “I’ve been terribly independent for a very long time, and in all honesty, I’m sure my parents' stress levels went down after I had proper training and the implants and Gertrude. Rather than simply wandering off because I felt like it.”

“You were a horrible child, weren’t you?”

“The absolute worst. Ianthe and I were terrible together, in part because she was supposed to watch over me, and was more of an instigator than anything.”

“Casper didn’t keep you both in line?”

“He’s the youngest. He got dragged along since he always wanted to be a part of whatever we were doing. Ianthe’s the oldest.” Bel raised a brow. “Are you surprised I had an independent streak?”

“Absolutely not. Dealing with you is like herding loth-cats.”

“Thank you.” Bel looked distinctly proud for a moment. “But really, I think they just appreciated knowing I had a little more at my disposal to take care of myself. They never hovered the way they could have, but it was clear enough that they worried. Granted I’m fairly certain they thought I’d be given a less...intensive position with Intelligence.”

“And then you ended up here.”

“Better than in carbonite. Or Shadow Town.” He was quiet for a long moment and then laughed. “Although it was a nice nap.”

“Mhm. You’re not allowed to do that again.” They were both quiet for a little while as they walked, and Theron shifted to put his hands in his pockets and let Bel adjust the way he was holding his arm. He reached up with his free hand after a moment, and Theron couldn’t help a little bit of pleasure invading his self as Bel flipped up the lenses of his cybernetics to rest in his hair, allowing Theron to take control of their route. “There’s that too.”

“Hmm?” 

“When you let people see you. You know people can see you right now, right?”

“Of course not. If I can’t see them, they can’t see me.” Bel fired a tight, shit-eating grin in his direction. “But you mean they appreciate that I trust the people here enough to be  _ vulnerable _ . That it’s clear I trust them.”

“That. As if you aren’t deadly regardless, but we can let them pretend.”

“Mmm. It’s an odd sensation. I beginning not to mind it. Although it was a bit disconcerting at the start.” 

“Trust or being vulnerable?”

“Yes.”

That was a bit too sore a point, and Theron let it go. Bel had settled down as well as any of them could ask him to on Odessen, and he wasn’t about to ask for more than that. “Had you thought about going back to Dromund Kaas after all this? Going back to them?”

Bel’s expression fell a little, lips pursed in an almost displeased pout. “It doesn’t often seem like there will be an afterwards to all of this. I wasn’t letting myself think about it. And Dromund Kaas hasn’t been home in a very long time.”

“Okay, so say the insane task of ending the Eternal Empire and uniting the Galaxy doesn’t kill us, or we don’t die of old age before it happens, where would you have gone?”

“Where are you planning on going?”

He stopped for a moment, gaping and Bel turned, brow raised. The Cipher said nothing, brow raised, waiting and finally, Theron managed to get the words out. “You don’t mean that.”

“There isn’t much else in the galaxy I have left to see-”

“That’s a terrible joke, stop it.”

“And I’m a little bit partial to your company. If you’re willing to make room for me in your plans, that is.” Bel dropped his head, lips twitching in a barely suppressed smile and kissed him gently. “Not that I’m-”

“Yes. Of course. I’d make room for you in a heartbeat. Or follow you. Whichever you want, so long as you’ll have me.”

“Always, Theron. I let you go once, and wished I hadn’t, and I don’t intend to make that mistake again.” The kiss lasted a lot longer this time, and Theron pressing them together as it ended, pleased to be able to maneuver without Bel’s cybernetics in the way and actually touch his face. Bel leaned into it, letting Theron’s hand rest on his cheek for a long moment, eyes closed. 

Someone cleared their throat, loudly, like the crack of a projectile rifle, and he whirled as Bel did, shoving the other man behind him a little even as Bel’s hand went to his blaster pistol. It probably wasn’t the best reaction to be having on base, but usually, people made considerably more noise approaching Bel, knowing they were likely to be stabbed if they startled him. The general consensus was that if Bel did stab someone for sneaking up on him, it was considered well-deserved. PSA’s had gone out with every new arrival as people joined the Alliance.

Belville’s sister looked decently proud of herself. “Bel. And Agent Shan is it?”

“Theron is...fine.” He wasn’t entirely sure how long she’d been watching, and that was not helping the flush on his face. Somehow it wasn’t surprising she knew he’d been a spy too.

“Theron, then.” Her voice was a little more rugged than Bel’s, a mixture of a cut-glass Kaasian accent with a lower register and faster way of speaking. She approached with a swagger, hands loosely at her side. “My apologies for interrupting, I was hoping to steal my brother for a moment. Although I don’t mind sharing him if you don’t.”

“Ian-”

“No, no, I’d hate to take you away from Theron, although you may want to go somewhere private soon.” Her grin was wide and toothy and Theron avoided making eye contact, looking up and away and pretending he couldn’t see it. “Your people accidentally brought the armaments I...borrowed...to my quarters. Where would you like them?”

“Nowhere near Kaliyo,” Bel muttered the words and then shook his head. “Find Major Aric Jorgan, he’ll be out on the training ground. Republic Havoc squad, Cathar. He’ll have a use for them. Play nice. Whatever he doesn’t need, pass on to Torian Cadera for the Mandalorians, please.”

“Lovely. Havoc Squad was it? I’ll have to pick his brain. Thanks, Bels.” She gave half a nod and turned to go. “Oh, and you’ll have to join us for dinner sometime, Theron. Mom and Dad would be happy to speak with you more.”

She left without another word, and Bel was suspiciously quiet for a very long time as Theron tried to get his composure back. It took a minute to get his tongue to work. “Did she just- dinner?”

“To meet you as...not my advisor.” The words came out a little strangled, and Bel’s head dropped, face turned away. “I apologize, she’s very forward. I-”

“You can’t be serious.” 

“Theron-”

“I’m pretty sure most Imperial parents don’t want their kids bringing home a Republic spy to dinner, although I can think of a few of our agents who may have tried to pull that off-”

“Oh, for the love of- Theron, please. I really don’t think that’s a concern for them anymore. At all.” Bel squinted at him a little, which was useless but a clear side-eye. 

“Do they interrogate your partners the way you interrogate people?”

“I’m going to murder you right here, right now.”

“I’m just asking! That seems average for Imperial traditions. I want to be prepared.”

Bel smacked his shoulder lightly and growled. “You’re being an ass. And no, by the way, you do not need to meet them if you don’t want to.”

“Oh.”

“Oh, what?”

“Nothing. Just thought that invitation meant…”

Bel tilted his head for a minute and then shook his head as he clearly processed it and Theron grimaced. “Neither of us are the domestic type. I’m sure they’d love to get to know you. But they won’t be offended if you’re not interested in that. It isn’t as though we’re teenage idiots and my parents need to vet you. I’m not going to force you to meet them. Nor am I going to keep asking you until you give in. Ianthe is teasing, and you know that as well as I do. Don’t take it too seriously.”

“That’s...actually very reassuring.”

“Good. Relax. I’m not going to turn you into a family man now that they’re here, and I certainly am not going to turn into one.” Bel tugged on his arm gently and Theron resumed walking. “I think you’d rather lose your appeal if I did.”

“Okay, that’s just rude.”


	3. It's Like Going Home for the Holidays, Only It's Not At All Like That

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's one thing to know your family. That's the easy part. Everyone acts a certain way, treading the line between their true selves, and the self their family views as acceptable. They change, they grow, but there are intrinsic things, things that form the foundation. Things that can be counted on to stay the same. 
> 
> Or at least, that's the assumption. Coming home should be the return of old jokes, of comfortable silences, and innermost insecurities. But when the foundation of the galaxy has been rocked, it's probably too much to ask that the foundation of a family stay the same.

He’d probably spent too long thinking about it, picking through the clothing he had, and struggling not to end up layering up weapons or body armour. It wasn’t exactly good etiquette to show up to a family reunion fully kitted.

He wanted to, badly. It was safe. And currently, things felt...less than safe. Not dangerous, necessarily, but risky. There were already too many things that he hadn’t practiced in a very long time that were concerning, and adding the danger of this entire situation on top of that...no; Bel was in no way comfortable. His armour and weapons, those were comfortable, something he knew he could rely on against whatever came.

Usually, at least. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t been trained to use his own fists and teeth when necessary, nor was he averse to it. He had taken care of himself without weapons before. He could do it again.

Also, probably not the most appropriate thing to be thinking about before a family reunion. But it was a comforting thought.

He’d been too excited to see them to think about all of that when Ian had first stepped off the transport. Sloppy. It was indicative of a lot of chinks in his armour that he had been very good at hiding so far. Things no one had been looking for up until now. It was funny how easy it was to simply avoid the subject. A few precautions, and then playing into the stereotype of Cipher’s as lone wolves, in all respects, and very few had even broached the subject with him. Kaliyo and Raina had never seemed to think about it, Lokin had never touched it, and Vector had asked, but only once, and Bel had redirected the conversation quickly. He had had to. By the time Lana and Theron came along, his reputation was so set in stone; it seemed they hadn’t felt there was anything to ask about.

Now all of the Alliance knew, and likely the rest of the galaxy would too. And to think he’d thought he was used to the speed things like this could change at. For a while, he had almost thought he was keeping up, anticipating those changes.

But no, there was never really any getting used to it. Only adapting as the changes came along.

There wasn’t much in his closet that could be considered casual wear. Undercover clothing, yes, but not casual. A pistol on a thigh holster and one tucked into his waistband wouldn’t be too much; completely unarmed would have been stupid. Hopefully, no one would notice the gauntlets and grieves and the blades they housed. He wasn’t willing to entrust his personal safety to others completely. But they were deniable. And about as casual as he was capable of being. He went around Odessen fully kitted most of the time, and so far, no one had begrudged him that.

There was no point stalling. Belville clicked his tongue once, and Gertrude shook herself from where she’d been napping on his bed, stretching slowly before padding over to meet him. He crouched for a moment, smile softening and scratching under her armoured plating. She grumbled at him happily until he caught a good spot behind her ear, and one of her back legs started kicking. “Good girl. Ready to go?”

She rumbled at him once more, and he straightened, firing off a quick message to Theron before heading for the door. It was best if the command team knew where to find him at any given moment. Not that he ever turned his comm off, but it was simply good policy. Regardless of what he was doing and where he was going, he was still the Commander. And if they needed him, he’d be there. 

Ianthe would be getting antsy. Bel picked up his pace. He rarely went into the barracks of the Odessen base. It was an odd area, partly military barracks, partly family housing. Things would change as they expanded, but for now, nearly everyone was needed on base, and housing had to accommodate that. Eventually, they would be able to spread out, create towns and farms on Odessen for anyone who wanted to stay, if anyone did, but for now, that would just be offering the Eternal fleet targets if they ever decided to attack Odessen directly. The Gemini ships would annihilate any settlements.

A few of the Alliance members took note as he passed, sketching nods or loose salutes, and Bel returned them, trying to keep to the edges and out of people's awareness. It had been a lot easier before his face had been blasted across the galaxy, and so many people had begun looking at it as more of a symbol than as part of a person. Still, it would have been bad form if he couldn’t manage to go unnoticed some of the time. Arguably, he hadn’t taken well to the sudden...celebrity.

At all.

Could he really be blamed for that?

He rapped on the door quietly, swallowing any nerves or desire to put up a front. It was always so much easier to be someone else. But he was already someone different than they last remembered, and putting another persona in front of that was only going to make things harder. 

And Ian didn’t give him much of a chance to, swinging the door open and hauling him in with a tight embrace that didn’t leave any chance to back out. “Bel! Morning. Mom and Dad aren’t up yet, but Casper and I were just making breakfast. Want some?”

She let him go, and he nodded a little. “Not much, I ate with Theron this morning, but a cup of caf would be nice.”

She was giving him that grin he knew far too well, and Bel snorted. “Don’t.”

“What? Not allowed to rib you about Theron?”

“No, no, you are not.” He growled it out at her, almost as if they were teenagers again, although he hadn’t really crushed on anyone as a teenager. Casper had always been the easier target there, falling head over heels for anyone who gave him the time of day and just as quickly out of it. Casper made a snorting noise from the kitchenette area, enough mugs for the five of them already set out, and Bel slipped past him to start up a pot of caf. “He doesn’t need your shit.”

Ian hopped up on one of the stools on the other side of the counter, rolling her shoulders once and stretching, popping her back easily. “You like him a lot, don’t you?”

Despite her ease and pep, they had all kept their voices low. Hells below, their parents would be heading into their late sixties soon, and they had just had their entire lives upended. If they wanted to sleep, they could be allowed that.

They’d upended their lives for him. They all had. He hadn’t asked. Hadn’t wanted any of this. There was no need for them to come chasing after him. He’d missed them, yes, and they’d clearly missed him, but they had had safety and comfort, and it seemed unlikely he could offer that here-

He carefully loosened his grip on the mug he was holding before he could crack it, and pretending not to notice that Casper had seen the move and was side-eyeing him. “None of your business, Ian.”

“It is if I have to give him the shovel talk.”

“Oh, for the love of-”

“Well, Casper’s not gonna do it.” 

“She has a point. I’m not. He seems nice, though.”

“May I remind you that out of the three of us, I’m the one with the galaxy-wide reputation as an assassin? If he was going to be scared of anyone, it’s me. You two do not compare, but you can try.” He poured caf for the three of them, hesitating when he couldn’t remember how they both took it, and Casper took two of the mugs from him, preparing them while he dumped sugar in his own. 

Ian tilted her head to the side a little. “Was he though? Scared of you? I mean, I wouldn’t really have blamed him…”

Bel shrugged a little and took a seat next to her as Gertrude wandered into the kitchen, seeming rather sure in the knowledge that Casper was going to give her scraps. He followed through on that assumption almost immediately, showering her in affection. “I imagine a little. He’s not really like that. And he knows the life well enough that some of the things that scare others about me are commonplace for him.”

There was a look shared across the counter, and Bel grimaced. “What?”

“Nothing. Knew he was Republic. People tossed around the word agent, but…” Casper shrugged a little. “Now we know. Weren’t sure he was...SIS, but…”

He took a sip of the caf for a delay to gather himself. “He’s not-”

“Weren’t worried about that. You can take care of yourself just fine. Just trying to figure out exactly how well he understands you, or if we’d be needing to factor that into the talk too.” Ian ruffled his hair, and Bel frowned, smacking her hand away lightly.

“Again, you’re not giving him the shovel talk, or I’ll ship you both off who knows where.”

“Haven’t technically agreed to work for the Alliance yet, and somehow I think the only one backing you up on that’ll be Lady Beniko.” Ian winked and shrugged. “Relly, Bel, we were just curious. Haven’t ever seen you with someone like that.”

He could feel a flush rising on his neck and cheeks and sighed. Casper spoke up before he had a good enough rebuttal. “So is this thing just a whole excuse so you can shack up with Pubs?”

“Casper!” Bel leaned over the counter and smacked him lightly. “Enough!”

“Just asking!” 

Ian was cackling, and he smacked her too, huffing loudly. The laughing continued for a moment before both of them settled, and Bel gave them both a long stare. “To deliberately change the subject, I do have to ask at some point. What exactly do you two plan to do...here?”

Ian was goggling at him like he was an idiot. She had a habit of rolling her eyes back and scrunching her nose when she was annoyed, and she was doing it now. Bel met her look impassively, brow raised. “You’re the one in charge here, Bel. What do you want us to do?”

“No, that’s not-”

“What would you normally do if we had shown up and you didn’t know us?” Casper turned, giving the stove his attention and raising a brow over his shoulder. Neither of them seemed overly concerned, and Bel suddenly wished he’d saved this conversation for a time when he was around in a more official capacity. At least then, he could have fallen back on his duties and roles as the Commander, not trying to mediate those with...who his family remembered. 

“This isn’t the same.” He scrubbed at his face once. “Most people had a choice and come to Odessen for the cause, not for me.”

“I’d argue you’re as much a part of this as the idea of the Alliance.” His father’s voice was soft, and Bel stiffened, avoiding turning as he joined them. His expression was the wrong side of soft, worried. “Bel, you’re the face of this. People are here because they believe in you-”

He held up a hand, and his father stopped for a moment. “Can we not have this conversation right now? I’m not here to be...the Commander. It’s just something I need to know.”

“I mean, Casper’s right. What would you do with us if we were anyone else?” 

He could feel the line of his jaw tightening, avoiding Ian’s gaze this time. It didn’t stop her. “It’s all hands on deck right now. At least for you two-”

“Then put us to work. Force, Bel, if we didn’t approve or want to help, we could have just pretended we didn’t know you or publicly disowned you.” Ianthe doubled down, tossing her hands up. “But we’re here. Put us where you need us. Let us help.”

“You don’t have to-”

“We want to.” Corisande had stayed quiet as they joined their children, but she spoke now, squeezing her son’s shoulder gently. “At the very least, I can help with training your medical staff, and I’m sure this Alliance needs the help of a seasoned diplomat. And your brother and sister are both well experienced in their fields. Let us help.”

“None of you have to do this; I wouldn’t have asked you to-”

“No, you wouldn’t have. And you didn’t.” Lisle hesitated, schooling his expression after a moment, and Bel tried to pretend he hadn’t seen sorrow there. “I wish you had, Bel; we would have been here in an instant if you’d asked.”

“It’s too dangerous here; I couldn’t-”

“We spent the last five years facing Zakuul without you. We were in as much danger then as we are now.” Ianthe interrupted him firmly, and Bel felt strangely surrounded and outnumbered. It was hard not to want to fight his way out of it. For years, being surrounded had meant he only had himself to count on. Now, they were surrounding him to offer support. He put out of mind how much it felt like a trap. “Now, we have a chance. Put us to work, Bel, and go do what you do best.”


End file.
